Sports Training Target

ABSTRACT

A sports training target includes a strike plate constructed of a metal sheet that is selected so that the target produces a crisp pop sound when hit to provide an audible indicator that the target was hit. The metal sheet is further selected so that the strike plate will dent when hit with a sufficient force to provide a visual indication of where the strike plate was struck.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/075,264, filed Nov. 5, 2014, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to targets for use in sporting activities, and more particularly, relating to a target that provides audible and visual feedback to a user when the target is hit by a projectile.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There exist a number of training targets used to hone an individual's targeting skills in various sports. Examples of training target devices are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,402,648 and 4,295,648. While the training targets heretofore fulfill their respective objectives, they are not without certain drawbacks. For instance, existing training targets are not constructed to be used across various sports types and are not of simple construction that provides a user with an audible response and visual strike indication, and further that provides for a controlled, low rebound of objects hitting the target. Accordingly, a desire and need exists for a new sports training target.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing problems with existing sports targets, embodiments of the present invention provide a new sports training target that provides an audible sound indicating the target was hit and that also dents to provide a visual indication of where the target was hit.

In general, in one aspect, a sports training target includes a strike plate that is formed of a flexible metal sheet and has opposed front and rear faces and a peripheral edge. The flexible metal sheet is selected such that an audible sound is generated when the strike plate is struck and such that the strike plate will dent when struck by a desired sufficient force. An edging is attached to and disposed around the peripheral edge. And an attachment system is connected to the strike plate and is operative to mount the strike plate on a support structure such that the front face remains directed toward a user.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.

Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages, and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following drawings illustrate by way of example and are included to provide further understanding of the invention for the purpose of illustrative discussion of the embodiments of the invention. No attempt is made to show structural details of the embodiments in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice. Identical reference numerals do not necessarily indicate an identical structure. Rather, the same reference numeral may be used to indicate a similar feature of a feature with similar functionality. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, in-use front view of a sports training target constructed in accordance with the principles of an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the sports training target attached to a fence and being hit by a ball;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the sports training target constructed in accordance with the principles of an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation view of the sports training target constructed in accordance with the principles of an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is cross-sectional view of the sports training target taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of the sports training target that has been dented by a ball hitting the target;

FIG. 6 is a cross-section view of the sports training target taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a sport training target system constructed in accordance with the principles of an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1-7, diagrammatically shown therein and designated by reference number 10 is an embodiment of the present sports training target.

In FIG. 1, the target 10 is shown in-use and secured to a structure 12, representatively illustrated as a fence, and positioned so that a user can throw or pitch a ball 14 at the target for developing throwing skills. While the target 10 is shown supported upon a fence, it should be understood that the target can be attached to other structures such as, but not limited to, a soccer goal or hockey goal, and used to develop skills related to the particular sport. For example, the target 10 could be mounted to a soccer goal in a certain position to develop one's skills of shooting a soccer ball to that position of the goal. Moreover, the target could also be laid flat upon the ground and used, for example, to provide a landing target for practicing a golf shot.

As discussed further bellow, target 10 is specifically constructed to generate a particular audible response when hit, thereby providing instantaneous feedback to a user or coach that the target was hit. The target 10 is also specifically constructed so that it will functionally dent to an extent that does not render the target unusable when hit by a sufficient force to give a visual indication of where the target was hit. Additionally, denting the target 10 becomes a challenge to the user and encourages the user to hit the target harder to create a bigger dent, but while still remaining accurate enough to hit the target. In another aspect, the target 10 is specifically constructed to control the rebound of a ball or puck after striking the target. More particularly, the target 10 is constructed so that a ball or puck will have a low rebound after hitting the target.

Turning now to FIGS. 2 through 4, the target 10 includes a strike plate 16, a strike plate edging 24, and an attachment system 26. The particular structure of the strike plate 16, the strike plate edging 24, and the attachment system 26 provides a unique sports training target that produces a clean, crisp pop sound when the strike plate is hit, rather than an undesirable rattle or bang noise. The particular construction of the strike plate 16, the edging 24, and the attachment system 26 also provides for functional denting of the strike plate and for low object rebounding.

In the illustrated embodiment, the strike plate 16 includes a front face 18, an opposite rear face 20, and a peripheral edge 22. The strike plate 16 is constructed of a thin, flexible metal that is selected to generate a desirable audible sound when hit and that is further selected to functionally dent when hit with a sufficient force.

After testing, it has been found that 26 gauge sheet steel having a hot-dip coating of corrosion resistant, aluminum zinc alloy provides the most ideal material for the strike plate 16. More specifically, 26 gauge sheet metal that is manufactured by Bethlehem Steel Corporation and sold under the trade name Galvalume® is the most ideal material for the strike plate 16 to meet the specific requirements of the target 10.

The Undesirable materials include steel sheet metal having a 10, 14, or 18 gauge thickness. Each of these materials is far too heavy and cannot be mounted to a sports goal net because they will cause the net to sag or collapse. Additionally, these materials do not provide a low rebound, but rather objects that hit the material respond with a significantly large rebound that is undesirable.

The strike plate edging 24 is attached to and extends completely around the peripheral edge 22 of the strike plate 16. The strike plate edging 24 serves several functions, including preventing injury to a user handling the target 10 from the sharp edge of the strike plate 16 and providing a grip for handling the target 10. The strike plate edging 24 also serves the function of providing structural integrity to the strike plate 16 by preventing the peripheral edge 22 from deforming and providing controlled, functional denting of the strike plate. Further, the specific material and structure of the strike plate edging 24 is selected to compliment the structure and material of the strike plate 16 in order to provide the particular, and desirable pop sound and functional denting.

After testing, it has been found that a PVC based edging material having internal aluminum clips provided the most ideal material for the strike plate edging 24. More specifically, the edging material available by Trimlok, Inc. under the trade name Rubber-Lok and having an edge thickness of 1/64 inch and leg length of ⅜ inch with internal aluminum clips is the most ideal material to provide the desired structural integrity to the strike plate 16 and the desired pop sound and functional denting. In FIG. 4, the strike plate edging 24, including the clips 25 is shown attached and secured to the peripheral edge of the strike plate 16 by an adhesive.

Undesirable materials for the strike plate edging 24 include an edging material available by Trimlok, Inc. under the trade name Edge Guard that has a PVC base with a Mylar finish. Another undesirable material is the edging material available by Trimlok, Inc. under the trade name X1010, which is a neoprene rubber material. Yet a further undesirable material is flexible synthetic rubber coating available by Peformix and sold under the trade name Plasti Dip 12213. None of these materials provide the desired structural integrity to the strike plate 16 and the desired pop sound and functional denting.

The front face 18 of the strike plate 16 includes indicia 19, representatively illustrated as a ball, which identifies an area on the strike plate that a user can aim toward when using the target 10. The indicia 19 could have other designs as desired and is not limited to the illustrated ball design.

Target 10 further includes an attachment system 26 that is attached to the strike plate 16 and is operative to mount or otherwise secure the strike plate to a support with the front face 18 facing a user. In the representatively illustrated embodiment, the attachment system 26 includes a pair of straps 28 and 30 that are each attached at one end thereof to the strike plate 16 at a spaced apart distance, with their opposite ends detachably connected together by a fastener 32, such as, for example, a carabineer.

More specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, end 34 of strap 28 is threaded through a hole formed through the strike plate 16 and secured by a knot. Similarly, end 36 of strap 30 is threaded through a hole formed through the strike plate 16 and secured by a knot. And the opposite ends 38 and 40 are detachably connected together by the fastener 32. In certain aspects, straps 28 and 30 are elastic straps, such as, for example, bungee cords or the like.

Further, in the illustrated embodiment, strap 28 is a length that is greater than the length of strap 30. The purpose of strap 28 being longer than strap 30 is to provide a desired movement of the target 10 when it, that is not otherwise provided when both straps of are the same length. It was found that providing strap 28 with great length than strap 30, strap 28 stretches more easily than strap 30 and thus provides a controlled, directional movement of the target when hit. And the controlled, directional movement, in combination with the flexible strike plate 16, acts to absorb energy from the object hitting the target and thus providing for low rebounding of the object after hitting the target 10.

The purpose of the target 10 is to provide the user with a stationary object for the user to aim at while throwing or hitting ball 14, puck, etc. When the ball hits the target 10, the target produces audible and visual feedback in the form of a sound and dent. With repeated use, the target 10 will aid in improving the user's throwing and hitting speed, accuracy, and/or power by reinforcing the required mechanics and techniques required for the ball to hit the target 10 when thrown or hit by the user. With each repetition, the sound and dent 40 encourages the user to strike the target 10 with greater velocity to produce a larger sound and dent 40 while maintaining the necessary mechanics and techniques used to strike the target 10 on previous attempts.

Turning to FIG. 5 there is shown a front view of the target 10 with a dent 40 that was formed by a ball hitting the strike plate 16 with a sufficient force. The dent 40 is further shown in FIG. 6, which is a cross-section taken through the strike plate 16 along the dent. For the purpose herein, and as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a dent is created in the strike plate when the front face 18 together with the rear face 20 are plastically deformed, leaving a concaved portion with respect to the front face. Mere surface blemishes that effect only the front surface 18 without deforming the rear surface 20 are not considered dents within the scope and meaning of the present invention. Rather, a dent requires that both surfaces 18 and 20 are deformed collectively to create the concaved portion.

Since the strike plate 16 is flexible and deforms when hit by a ball or other projectile, the target 10 absorbs a large portion of the ball's energy, which lowers ball's the rebound after hitting the target. This prevents a user from having to chase the ball after hitting the target 10, because the ball will generally fall in close proximity to the target.

With reference to FIG. 7, there is shown a sports training target system 42 including a plurality of targets, representatively shown with three targets 10 a, 10 b, and 10 c. Each of the targets 10 a, 10 b, and 10 c are constructed according the principals discussed above. Targets 10 a, 10 b, and 10 c each have a different diameter and allow a user to select a particular target for practice. For instance, a user may initially use target 10 a, which has the largest diameter, and then progressively work through target 10 b and 10 c as the user's skills improve. In an embodiment, the targets may have a diameter that ranges between 6 and 24 inches.

A number of embodiments of the present invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A sports training target comprising: a strike plate, said strike plate being formed of a flexible metal sheet and having opposed front and rear faces and a peripheral edge, said flexible metal sheet being selected such that an audible sound is generated when said strike plate is struck and such that said strike plate will dent when struck by a desired sufficient force; an edging attached to and disposed around said peripheral edge; and an attachment system connected to said strike plate and operative to mount said strike plate on a support structure such that said front face remains directed toward a user.
 2. The sports training target of claim 1, wherein said attachment system comprises: one or more straps connected to said strike plate and operative to mount said strike plate on a support structure.
 3. The sports training target of claim 2, wherein at least of said one or more straps is an elastic strap.
 4. The sports training target of claim 1, wherein said strike plate is circular shaped.
 5. A sports training target system comprising: at least two sports training targets, each of said at least two sports training targets having a different size and include a strike plate, said strike plate being formed of a flexible metal sheet and having opposed front and rear faces and a peripheral edge, said flexible metal sheet being selected such that an audible sound is generated when said strike plate is struck and such that said strike plate will dent when struck by a desired sufficient force; an edging attached to and disposed around said peripheral edge; and an attachment system connected to said strike plate and operative to mount said strike plate on a support structure such that said front face remains directed toward a user.
 6. The sports training target system of claim 5, wherein each of said at least two sports training targets is circular shaped and said different size is provided by each sports training target having diameter that is different from the diameter of each other sports training target.
 7. The sports training target system of claim 5, wherein said attachment system of at least one of said at least two sports training targets comprises: one or more straps connected to said strike plate and operative to mount said strike plate on a support structure.
 8. A sport training target comprising: a strike plate, said strike plate being formed of a flexible metal sheet and having opposed front and rear faces and a peripheral edge, said flexible sheet metal being constructed of 26 gauge sheet steel having a hot-dip coating of corrosion resistant, aluminum zinc alloy; a protective edging attached to and disposed around said peripheral edge, said protective edging constructed of a PVC based material having internal aluminum clips; and an attachment system connected to said strike plate and mounting said strike plate to a support structure such that said front face remains directed toward a user.
 9. The sports training target of claim 9, wherein said attachment system comprises: two elastic straps connected to said strike plate and operative to mount said strike plate on a support structure.
 10. The sports training target of claim 10, wherein each of said two elastic straps has a length, and wherein one length is greater than the second length.
 11. The sports training target of claim 8, wherein said strike plate is circular shaped. 